1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to coloring, and in particular, to methods and systems for coloring digital media.
2. Description of the Related Art
As technology advances, media, such as video media, can be displayed with ever greater resolution using display devices, such as LCD or plasma high definition televisions or monitors. However, a large percentage of video media may have been recorded at a lower resolution or using non-digital techniques. These legacy video media products (e.g., movies, television shows, etc.) were typically color corrected at the “old” relatively low resolution (e.g., in “standard definition,” such as 720×486 pixels in United States format or 720×576 pixels in European format). However, studios and the like often want to release the legacy video media products in a higher quality, higher resolution format (e.g., a high definition format, such as at 1280×720 or 1920×1080 pixels), while retaining the same color look as the lower resolution legacy version.
Certain conventional approaches utilize a time consuming, expensive, and sometimes inaccurate manual color grading process to color the new, higher resolution version of the media product so that it looks like the previously color approved media product.
Other conventional approaches have utilized an automated color correction process. However, disadvantageously, certain of these automated coloring processes require that the higher resolution and lower resolution digital versions be from the exact same digital source so that images in the different versions are in perfect alignment. Thus, such conventional automated processes do not permit the higher resolution version to have a different cropping, zooming, or panning than the lower resolution, original version.